ICYMI: Rogers-Backed Trade War Spurs Detroit Layoffs as Companies Cite Trump's Chaotic Tariffs
July 29, 2025
Michigan workers pay the price for Rogers’ support of Trump’s trade failures
LANSING - In case you missed it, Detroit-area companies are slashing jobs and shuttering operations thanks to President Trump’s chaotic trade war - which Mike Rogers has praised, saying Trump has done a “great job.”
Now, Pepsi is shutting down operations at its Detroit manufacturing plant with approximately 84 employees set to be laid off, according to Axios Detroit. Last month, Detroit Axle announced a round of layoffs, citing Trump’s tariffs for the closure of a warehouse.
Meanwhile, Rogers continues to rubber-stamp Trump’s trade wars — including endorsing a Japan deal despite fierce pushback from both the UAW and Detroit automakers.
Read more below:
Axios Detroit: Pepsi to lay off 80 local workers
- Pepsi is laying off about 80 workers and shutting down operations at its Detroit production facility on Mack Avenue, the company disclosed in a state filing last week.
- Pepsi’s local manufacturing cuts follow Detroit Axle’s decision last month to close its warehouse on 8 Mile Road in Ferndale and slash more than 100 jobs. Detroit Axle blamed the job cuts on supply-chain disruptions and increased costs due to President Trump’s tariffs, CEO Mike Musheinesh explained to the state.
- What they’re saying: “Tariffs have the potential to slow down construction, shutter small businesses, lead to layoffs in the auto industry, add cost for Michigan families at the store and the pump because companies will pass their higher costs on to consumers,” Michigan Economic Development Corporation spokesperson Otie McKinley wrote to Axios in response to the local jobs cuts.
- “Smart trade policies will level the playing field and secure Michigan jobs without increased costs to Michiganders.”
